Gas distributor for heat exchange and/or mass transfer column

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device that conditions high entrance velocity, superheated feed gas, which include some high boiling components, for example, asphaltenes and poly-nuclear aromatics that tend to coke upon condensation and exposure to the superheated feed gas temperature. Also included in superheated feed gas are solid catalyst fines, from a single or multiple feed nozzles to a quiescent flow regime for uniform distribution of the gases, to a contact device within the Main Fractionator (MF) column.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method for distributing feed gas in a heat exchange and/or mass transfer column, said method comprising the steps of:
 delivering a superheated feed gas through a feed gas inlet nozzle that extends through a shell wall of the column substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the column and directing the feed gas perpendicularly to a substantially vertical interior cylindrical deflector wall having a bottom section that extends the interior cylindrical deflector wall and conforms to the contour of the shell wall and at least one opening to an annular interior open area within the column, said bottom section comprising a bottom section opening to a column sump within the column, and a generally horizontal ceiling above the inlet nozzle between the shell wall and the interior cylindrical deflector wall to define a generally circumferential gas flow channel formed between the shell wall and the interior cylindrical deflector wall, said ceiling having a plurality of openings; 
 cooling the superheated feed gas by contacting the gas with a counter current flow of liquid as the liquid passes through the plurality of openings in the ceiling and into the circumferential gas flow channel; 
 wetting the interior cylindrical deflector wall and an interior side of the shell wall that forms the circumferential gas flow channel with the counter current flow of liquid after the liquid has passed through the plurality of ceiling openings; and 
 venting the superheated feed gas to an area above the ceiling and the annular interior area within the column through the at least one opening of the interior cylindrical deflector wall and the plurality of openings in the ceiling to provide a substantially uniform distribution of the superheated feed gas within the column. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feed gas flow rate increases from about 500,000 Kg/h upon entering the gas flow channel to about 1,200,000 Kg/h upon leaving the plurality of openings in the ceiling and the at least one opening of the interior cylindrical deflector wall. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the feed gas temperature decreases from about 560° C. upon entering the gas flow channel to about 420° C. upon leaving the plurality of openings in the ceiling and the at least one opening of the interior cylindrical deflector wall. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein there is a plurality of openings between the ceiling and the interior cylindrical deflector wall and the ceiling and the shell wall. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom section is cone shape. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the column is a main fractionator column. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the column further comprises packing and/or trays above the gas distributor. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ceiling comprises at least one ceiling section. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein at least one ceiling section is a flat plate. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ceiling section comprises at least one chimney. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the ceiling section comprises rods spaced at least about 1 inch apart. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the ceiling section is corrugated. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein there is a plurality of openings between the ceiling and the interior cylindrical deflector wall and the ceiling and the shell wall. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the ceiling section is at least one selected from the group consisting of a flat plate with at least one chimney, a section comprising rods spaced at least about 1 inch apart, and a corrugated ceiling section with at least one chimney. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the opening of the cylindrical deflector wall is a vent window. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom section further comprises at least one overflow opening. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein segmented interior cylindrical deflector wall segments are sized to fit through a manway. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the ceiling sections are sized to fit through a manway. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom section comprises bottom section segments. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the chimney comprising a high hat. 
     
     
       21. A method for distributing feed gas in a heat exchange and/or mass transfer column, said method comprising the steps of:
 delivering a superheated feed gas through a feed gas inlet nozzle that extends through a shell wall of the column into a generally circumferential gas flow channel formed between the shell wall, an interior cylindrical deflector wall having a bottom section and at least one opening to an annular interior open area within the column, and a ceiling above the inlet nozzle between the shell wall and the interior cylindrical deflector wall, said ceiling having a plurality of openings; 
 cooling the superheated feed gas by contacting the gas with a counter current flow of liquid as the liquid passes through the plurality of openings in the ceiling and into the circumferential gas flow channel; 
 wetting the interior cylindrical deflector wall and an interior side of the shell wall that forms the circumferential gas flow channel with the counter current flow of liquid after the liquid has passed through the plurality of ceiling openings; and 
 venting the superheated feed gas to an area above the ceiling and the annular interior area within the column through the at least one opening of the interior cylindrical deflector wall and the plurality of openings in the ceiling to provide a substantially uniform distribution of the superheated feed gas within the column.